Warden
by K913
Summary: Naruto Neglected fic. Sasuke, Hinata, and Ino Road to ninja AU. With the birth of his younger sister Tsuki, Naruto is ignored in favor of his sister and her Jinchuriki status. Forced to bear his curse alone, Naruto struggles in this chaotic world. Maelstrom never seemed such a more fitting name than now. Naruto/harem, first fic.


**Hey there guys, welcome to the rewrite of my fanfic Warden.**

**The main plot for this fic is that Naruto is born five years prior to his canon self, placing him close to Itachi's age. Also, the masked man incident (Whom we all by now know who it is) did not occur during his birth. With Minato free from distractions, he was able to effectively monitor and maintain the seal on Kushina throughout her labor, lulling them into a false sense of security. Five years later, the masked man appears during Naruto's younger sister's birth and unleashes the kyuubi.**

**During the rampage, Naruto is injured, and unconscious when Sarutobi Hiruzen takes Minato's place and seals the Kyuubi into Tsuki (Naruto's younger sister). Several of the jonin sensei's ages from canon Naruto have been modified to suit plot purposes.**

**So, here are some story warnings before you readers continue any further:**

**1)This will be a much more practical and understandably darker take on the Narutoverse. Cloak and Dagger politics, drama, and crime will be present.**

**2)This is a neglection fanfic. As the story progresses, Naruto becomes further alienated from his family to the point that he feels like an outsider. I hope I can fully convey the sense of loss and abandonment through this story to you readers.**

**3)This is also a harem fanfiction. However, unlike other fanfics, there will be ups and downs to every relationship Naruto forms. Some women may be more accepting towards some, while hostile to others. Each will have their own unique relationship with Naruto, and their own reasons for why they want to be with him. As a result, there will be some infighting.**

**4)Due to number 4, there will be lemons, now before you go, don't worry, for those of you who find these moments detrimental to a good story, the "lemon" chapters will be posted in Adult fanfiction. The "normal" chapters will not contain these scenes, but will instead imply an intimate moment has taken place between them. I will label which chapters and provide a link to them in the author's notes.  
**

**5)There will be character death, but it will be mostly minor, if not canon related (such as Jiraiya's death in Ame). Don't worry, cast members won't be dying left and right, much less the main characters. **

**6)Personality wise, Tsuki will be this fanfic's "Naruto." What I mean by that is that while Naruto may have some personality traits from his parents or of his canon self (always willing to help a friend, regardless of the opposition), he will be different. I want to create a very "human" Naruto. He doesn't become a genius overnight, nor is he god like powerful, but he will have his hardships that he will have to overcome, whether through ingenuity or hard work. The climb will be bloody, but he will prevail. **

**7)Metaphor from number 6 aside, this fanfic will have violence, along with other dark aspects associated with warefare. Acceptable losses, under the table dealing will be present from all sides. There will be violence and gore, though not to the point that it seems like a SAW fan's wet dream, just believable.**

**8)The academy structure will be altered to better prepare shinobi, as well as reflect its military roots. It might just be my personal opinion, but it seemed that many aspects of shinobi life and duties were explained to the Konoha 12 as they worked along the way (Though Kishimoto may have done this deliberately so as not to drag readers down with heavy background information in the beginning). Such as chakra affinity and so on. The academy will be changed so that it merely gives the students a more built foundation for the sensei's to further expand.**

**9)I will be using Hinata, Ino's, and Sasuke's alternate looks and personalities from the AU "road to ninja." Now, I have nothing against the characters, but these new personalities offer a wide variety of different interactions that the "normal" characters would never find themselves in. Now, these versions I create of them may be entirely different from how they turn up in the movie, Hinata= brazen, confident, outspoken, Ino= sheltered, shy, Sasuke= player, smooth.**

**So if any of these aspects of the story do not agree with you, then it might be in your best interest to move on to another story then read a story that may not interest you. **

**For those of you who have stayed and will continue to read this, this is a rewrite, due to many inconsistencies and plot flaws in the original version. I will also be answering several questions that were brought up in the original two chapters.**

**1)Harem girls: As I said in the original version, the women who will be in the harem have not been finalized. The harem will consist of 7-10 women MAXIMUM. I will not be going above that number, and that's already stretching it. Any more than that and it's just a lemon fic. I will be straying a bit from the main love interests present in other fics, though that's not to say one or two of them will be in there. Suggestions are always welcome NOTE: While I will consider your suggestions, that does not make me obligated to use them. Just to make that clear.**

**2)Cross overs: In regards to number 1, I am very hesitant to add in women, or characters in general from an entirely different series. Especially when the mythos or genre clash horribly with the canon in question. For example, I had one reader PM me a request to make Asuka from Neon Genesis Evangelion one of the harem choices. Nothing against that series, character, or reader in question, but I just don't see how I would be able to fit that character, nor some semblance of her backstory, without making the rest of the plot sound completely ridiculous. If I were to include a character from another series, they would have to tie in with some semblance of feudal japan as its time era (Vagabond, Basilisk) or have a similar skillset to Narutoverse characters in order not to fuck up the scale of power so vastly. Hell, even Bleach's Soul society could work, a reader PM'ed me about a possibility to including Suì-Fēng, along with her division as a wandering shinobi clan, seeing as how they were more stealth oriented and how some of the members wear shinobi attire. Now, such a suggestion would work, but I am still in the process of deciding. So please keep this in mind.**

**3)OC's: I have a big fear of OC's in fanfic's. Don't get me wrong, Some writers can pull them off, like kouken9493's(PLEASE UPDATE! I KNOW THINGS ARE TOUGH FOR YOU RIGHT NOW, BUT PLEASE, I MUST KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! T_T) 1344-B, or Onmysignalunleashwords's "Baka." It's not perfectly tailored characters that make great OC's in my opinion. What makes them great is that they build upon the existing characters. 1344-B is only rarely mentioned in flashbacks, and "Baka" only plays minor rolls in filling in spots otherwise occupied by Naruto. 1344-B is made to build upon the sense of grief and loss Naruto experiences in "Smile before he's gone," no description is made of her, since none are needed. "Baka" is made to embody the stark contrast from canon Naruto to the Naruto the reader discovers in "Ghost." These are at least my opinion of good OC's. I frankly, don't think I would be able to create OC's as well as these two, and will refrain from doing so, until it only is absolutely needed.**

**Whew, sorry for the really long author's note, just wanted to get that out of the way. Now that that is done, please enjoy the story.**

**Reviews and constructive Criticism are helpful, but please, no flames**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

* * *

_In the distance he could hear the sounds of battle, the sounds of the dying. It was dulled though, muted, drowned out by something that coursed through his entire being._

…_Pain… _

_The blinding pain originated from his chest, before it spread like wildfire to every other limb. His blood flowed freely, pooling around him. His vision had long since been blotted out by the pain. He couldn't so much as even twitch._

_Gradually it started to fade. So too, did the sounds follow. The numbness came upon him so soon that it frightened him. While it was a welcome reprieve from the pain, something felt…off._

_Then he sensed it. It was slow at first…a slight tug, pulling him away from everything. It grew stronger, speeding up until it felt like he was flying somewhere. He couldn't explain it, but something in him knew that if he allowed himself to be pulled away into that blissful…nothingness, that he would never wake up again. That he would never get to see the people he loved the most._

_He struggled, clawing his way back. The pain returned tenfold. If he could scream, he would have. He withstood it and carried on, and throughout this unimaginably painful ordeal, only two thoughts occupied his mind._

…_Father…_

…_Mother… _

He woke up with a start, drenched in cold sweat. His breathing haggard, he clenched the center in his chest, the origin of his pain, ever since that day three years ago. It would spread to every corner of his body like wildfire, burning and flaring. Soon it would slowly die out, the pain soon becoming a lingering memory. He drew away his shirt to look at the cross like scar, the size of his hand, in the center of his chest. He couldn't recall how he had come to receive such a wound, all he knew was that it had happened during the Kyuubi's rampage and had kept him confined to a hospital bed for a little over a year. Three years and still it looked as raw as when he first saw it when waking up in the hospital. When it had happened the first few times he would find himself screaming in pain, his parents startled and worried.

Any doctors they had asked for help drew nothing conclusive, and when the dreams refused to stop, they had even called in a favor from Tsunade, which was no small feat considering her views of the village. When she merely agreed with the previous doctors' assessments, father had been livid with him. He had berated him, on how it was unbecoming of a boy to react so to "simple dreams," and had stated if he continued this "needless whining" that he would be punished accordingly. Ever since then he had hardly talked or confided anything to his parents, fearful that any secret or fear would belittle him in his father's eyes.

_Yet his sister is waited on hand and foot, if she so much as sniffles father and mother rush to her protection, they-_

No, he shook his head to clear his mind of the little black voice. He would not fault his baby sister, who had the worse end of the deal, having that abomination stuck in her gut. She was just a toddler; of course their parents would treat her differently. The parent's attention always shifts towards the newborns for the first few years, it was natural.

With that said, he walked over to his bathroom to take a shower before his first day at the academy. A good hot shower in the morning always helped in alleviating the phantom pains that lingered in him. Too bad he couldn't stay in there for long. After putting on the navy cargo pants and white shirt he had laid out last night he cleared the fog filled mirror to give himself a once over. He recalled how mother had whined over him taking on more after his father. His eyes were a cerulean blue, his face not quite as round as his mother's nor as feminine and slender as his father's. His hair, while straight and silk like his mother's, was the sunshine gold of his father's** (For those of you who are having a hard time imagining his hairstyle, right now it essentially looks like whenever Naruto has his hair wet and flat against his head)**.

And those marks, the whisker like marks on his cheeks that he had somehow gained due to his mother being a jinchuriki during his conception and growth. His mother had constantly remarked about how cute they were when he was growing up, but now he was going to be a shinobi! Shinobi couldn't be cute! He had tried futilely to get rid of them, but unfortunately they were not scars or anything of the like, but rather birthmarks. Anything short of burning his skin would remove them, and while Naruto wanted them gone, he wasn't that desperate. Nor would he resort to make up like his grandpa Jiraiya seemed so fond of. After brushing his teeth and slinging his back pack over his shoulder, he dashed off to the kitchen to get something to eat.

It was there that he saw his mother ever doting on his little sister Tsuki. Tsuki took more after her mother than anything. From her tanned skin to her red hair, which was slightly difficult to manage, but doable nonetheless, right down to her nose and green eyes. Tsuki noticed him as she began waving her hands at her brother.

"N! N! N!" So far that was all she could manage of his name. Naruto smiled, and mentally rebuked himself for trying to find fault in his sister. His mother, clad in simple house clothes and apron, looked over to him and nodded.

.

His smile strained a little at that. Normally she would smother him, with the usual greeting of "Naru-chan." He would have whined at being called "-chan," stating that he wasn't a toddler anymore. He would have taken that over this new found...distance between them

"Morning Kaa-san" he replied, fishing an apple out of a basket on the table and heading to the door.

Nothing in reply.

"The academy starts in a few minutes, so I'll be eating breakfast along the way, wish me luck Ka-san!" He stated, more for himself than his mother. Their once boisterous household became ominously silent whenever he entered

Tsuki didn't like the idea of her brother going to school, and made her protests rather vocal.

"N! N! Wan N!" She cried. Kushina rushed over to placate her daughter.

"Sh sh sh, now baby, it's alright, he'll will be back before you know it. Now c'mon, why don't we go visit Mikoto-san?"

"Miko?"

"Yup, your auntie Mikoto, now you better hurry up with your breakfast missie!" She said, tickling her daughters sides, rewarded with her squealing laughter.

* * *

_One year Later (Naruto 9)..._

He could hardly wait. A year into the academy, and today would mark the day that they learned their elemental affinity, and thus opening up classes tailored to suit their needs. So far all that they had been going over in classes were generic history lessons of Konohagakure and the elemental nations, and basic procedures for ninja. For the first few weeks it was fine by him, seeing as he had a fear that he would be behind all the other clan born students, seeing as how his injury and his parent's precious little time did not allow him to be able to be trained in their techniques.

But even his patience could last only so long. Soon he had found himself counting off the days when the chakra test would begin. He wondered what elemental affinity he would have. After having found out his parent's affinity from a bingo book Kakashi-san had forgotten at the house, he wondered if he would have wind affinity, or water like his mother, or both. Maybe then his parents would find some time in their schedule to help him with his studies, who knows, maybe he would learn one of their techniques as well?

Who knows, he could only hope so. He had to wait a while until his instructor reached the N's until he was called forward. When the students were called they were ushered in a separate room to test their affinity. This was done to probably save the students from the pressure of being watched by their peers. He idly tapped his foot on the floor until he heard his name called up.

"Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze"

"Hai" he replied stepping to the front of the class. The chunin instructor waved to the door the other students had gone through.

"Please step in the next room and await further instructions from the instructors present." Naruto nodded, this was it. No words of encouragement were needed, seeing as how this would not directly hinder their growth as a shinobi. Passing through the door, he was met with two other instructors, one who starred at him impassively while the other looked over his clipboard.

"Namikaze?" he asked, his voice betraying nothing except his boredom. There had been 26 students before him.

"Hai."

"You are here to discover your elemental affinity to allow your enrollment in classes at the academy to increase your aptitude in the shinobi arts and to help better the village. Please, give it your best."

Naruto merely nodded, before accepting the offered strip of chakra paper. After being given the basics of channeling chakra, he poured his all into it.

Nothing happened.

He must not be putting enough chakra. He tried again, for a few good minutes, and panicked when the same result, or rather, lack of results, happened. What was he doing wrong? He had followed the teacher's instruction on chakra focus to the letter! Maybe if he tried again? Yeah, that had to be it! He would just keep on trying!

Had he looked up to the two instructors, he would have seen the worried glances they were shooting him. While it could have been possible for the shipment to have a faulty slip of chakra paper, such a thing was a rare occurrence. That possibility though was factored out due to the fact that three other students had exhibited no difficulties with their evaluations, which had used strips from the same pieces of paper.

One of the instructors called for him to stop, but to no avail.

Naruto drew on all his concentration to the paper in hand, blocking out all else. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead from the toll his focus was putting on him.

There!

He saw it, little by little, a tear was forming down the paper. And not form his hands mind you, for he kept them eerily still. Trying harder, he managed to make the tear grow. Then he noticed the top corners of the paper get damp. Yes! He knew he could do it! He wondered how many of his classmates discovered more than one affinity. He looked up to the instructors, curious as to why they hadn't spoken anything about it.

Strange, their mouths were moving, but he couldn't hear anything. The world started to twist and blur, and his eyelids grew heavy. What was-

*thud*

* * *

*Beep*…*Beep*…*Beep*…

He stirred slightly at the annoying noise, wondering what it was. It certainly wasn't his alarm clock, of that he was sure.

Wait!

When did he get in bed? Whose bed was this? The sheets weren't comfy as his were, and itched slightly. He tried opening his eyes, only for them to be assaulted by a deluge of bright white light. Blinking rapidly as his vision cleared, he immediately recognized the stark white walls that surrounded him. The aroma of disinfectant filled his nostrils, to the point that he could almost taste it. Throwing off the covers he found himself hooked up to various machines, one of which was monitoring his heart rate.

* * *

…_He could hear crying..._

_It was a woman's, and It sounded startlingly familiar. He found that he couldn't move, and when he tried harder, the woman's sobbing increased._

"_D-don't! Please don't! *hic*,I-I don't want to lose you Sochi!" _

_Mother! He stilled, not wanting to distress her further. But he was unable to stifle his small cry of pain from his efforts._

_Mother heard it._

"_Sochi! Where does it hurt? Oh…uh….hold on, I'll get someone, DOCTOR! It's okay, don't panic Sochi, just-" She was going frantic. It was scaring him. Never had he heard his mother so fearful, so scared, so…fragile. He fumbled with his hand until he managed to grab hers and give it an awkward if reassuring squeeze, which managed to stop his mom mid rant._

"_Hi…Ka-san" He smiled weakly, straining to open his eyes. His mother's state startled him, but he tried his best to not show it. His mother's normally tanned skin looked sickly pale, her eyes sunken with dark blotches. Her eyes were bloodshot, with tears streaking down them. His heart ached at the sight of his mother in such pain, even more over the fact that he was the cause of it._

_She hesitantly held his cheek, as if he was made of glass. "S…Sochi…"_

"_I'm sorry Kaa-san-" _

"_NO!" She cut him off, her tone from distressed and happy to furious the next. She held him close, burying her head into his shoulder, sobbing. Her actions caused pain to flare in his body, but he cast them aside, stifling them lest he distress her further. "Don't…Don't you DARE apologize, it was not your fault…not your fault…I'm just…just so happy that you're awake…my Sochi..."_

* * *

_Woah…déjà vu there for a second…_

Sure enough he was in a hospital again, the same hospital that he had spent the better part of a year in fact. And how did he know this? He was in the same room that he had been in before, seeing as how his doodle on the wall in the far corner of the Hashirama Senju fighting Uchiha Madara was there. Moving on, why was he here? Did he get stabbed in the chest again?

Nope, a quick check confirmed for him. Still just one scar. Then, why was he here? The village still looked intact and relatively unharmed, which ruled out the possibility that the Kyuubi had somehow freed itself from Tsuki's gut and rampaged across Fire country.

He couldn't remember much before waking up, just that he had went to the academy much like any other day, and also that they had tested their affinities-

He jolted up despite himself, giddy at the recollection that he had inherited both of his parent's affinities. He wondered what techniques his parents would coach him on first. While he was musing on all the different moves that his parents could teach him, he heard it. A slight whisper, snippets and bits of conversation from beyond the room's door. He tried straining his ears to catch in on the conversation, though due to the fact that only third years learned how to enhance their natural senses with chakra, and him still being a first year, much of it was still unintelligible. He imagined himself a rather funny sight, leaning his head as far as he could over the edge of his bed.

While he couldn't discern what the voices were talking about, he could identify who those voices belonged to. There were three voices in total, two of which he knew very well, belonging to both his mother and father. The third he could not recognize, though if he had to hazard a guess, it would probably be one of the hospital staff.

As much as he wanted to know what they were talking about, he couldn't get out of bed. The cord going to is heart rate monitor wasn't nearly that long. Simply taking it off wasn't an option either, seeing as how it would make it seem like he flat lined, alerting the hospital and alerting the staff, and more importantly, scaring the shit out of his parents. No matter how lenient they were, he doubted he would get out of making them believe his heart had stopped without severe repercussions. He didn't know how to shut it off either, which left him confined to his bed. Sighing in defeat he threw his head back onto his pillow, content to-

*squee*

The bed moved slightly to the corner, the wheels on its legs squeaking oh so silently. He had forgot about those, He had to do this carefully to make sure the wheels didn't squeak, seeing as how he was lucky his parents had not noticed it. Gently and slowly nudging the bed along to the door, he reached a halfway mark between the room. If he crept forward any closer he would be running the risk of getting caught, and despite a Shinobi's job description, Mother hated it when he eavesdropped. Now he could hear slightly better, though not nearly close enough to what he wanted.

"…0kay?...condition…"

"Stable…"

"…How…Why…"

"Normal…healthy…"

"…Unforeseen…"

"…Possible treatment?...therapy?"

"None…so much…"

He leaned forward, desperate to try to piece together the brief snippets he caught. Unfortunately his weight caused the old springs in his mattress to protest loudly at the extra weight, silencing the conversation. Naruto quickly and as silently as he could shuffled the bed back to its original place. No sooner had he done that did he hear the muffled footsteps approach his door. With a twist of the door knob, a doctor opened the door, soon followed by both of their parents. His smile dropped off of his face as he noticed the grim looks his parents sported. Even Tsuki was uncharacteristically quiet, though he doubted that she would know anything of the current situation.

"Oto-san…Ka-san…what's wrong?"

He would regret asking that question for the years to come.

* * *

_three months later (Naruto 9)..._

He lurched upwards from bed, his breathing uneven as his sweat drenched hair flopped over his face.

"…fuck…"

Was it too much to ask for one decent night of sleep, apparently so seeing as how these things were continuing well over three years. Despite his father's claims to it being simple nightmares, he believed it to be connected to his condition. Looking at his shaking hands he laughed. Of course it was too much to believe that he had survived that fateful day without a cost, without any repercussions...

Inefficient Chakra pathways. Once he got past all of the medical jargon the doctor had spouted that day, that's essentially what it had boiled down to. When he had been hospitalized that time four years ago, his chakra pathways had been damaged by the Biju chakra's corrosive nature. Sure, Tsunade and several highly skilled medical staff had oversaw the regeneration of his chakra pathways, but it was indirectly by speeding up his body's already unnatural metabolism and regeneration rate inherit in the Uzumaki. Had his mother been anyone else, the procedure would have crippled him for life, at best.

Regardless, all they could do was monitor it during his six month stay at the hospital those four years ago, making sure it did not collapse in on itself. And seeing as how he had had little to no training in chakra manipulation during that time, there was little they could do. Channeling foreign chakra is risky, especially around vital areas. Seeing as how the pathways in question were inter-weaved around his heart and lungs, the risk climbed almost ridiculously. Usually such a process is specialized to create several outcomes, all of which were forbidden techniques due to the very large risk towards both the user and subject.

So sure, his chakra pathways had made a full recovery, structurally that is. Though actual application of said pathways was crippled. Normal amounts of chakra that a simple gennin could use could prove fatal to him, as most of the chakra he would channel would "leak out" much like a hole ridden pipe, inefficiently, or pool around his heart. Any proposals Tsunade or the medical staff had made were useless or extremely risky, the most likely outcome being death for a great majority of them.

He remembered how his parents had offered him a transfer to a civilian school. He had protested loudly against it, and any other compromise they had offered to get him out of the academy.

His glare softened when his mind travelled to his parents, ever since their explosive argument that day, mother had grown more distant, and father more immersed in his work. He hadn't told them his results from his evaluation, though he suspected his father knew as he had informed the teaching staff of his condition, thus barring him from advanced courses.

He hadn't asked for their tutelage either. Knowing his parents, they would twist the fact that he had asked for help against him, piling it upon reasons for why a Shinobi lifestyle was not meant for him. They…they treated him as if he was made of glass, that he would break at the slightest touch. That much was apparent whenever he would return from taijutsu courses and his mother, in one of her now rare cases of motherly love, would fret over him.

He hated it. He wasn't an invalid dammit! There were others much worse off than him! His was just an obstacle to overcome. But no, not everyone saw it that way. He could feel it now, every time he walked into that academy the teachers giving him passing glances of pity.

"Such a shame, happening to the Namikaze family."

"Must be hard."

"Can't imagine what the parents are going through."

They thought he couldn't hear their comments, their little whispers, but oh he could. They tore through him like scalding hot irons. He would show them! He would-

He brought his fingers to his face, finding his cheeks wet.

He was crying.

_No!_

Furiously rubbing his face to get rid of his tears he headed to the bathroom to get a shower before class. Running his hand through his hair he parted it away from his face, he idly flicked one strand of hair. It now reached his shoulders, forcing him to put it into a loose ponytail. Even though it wasn't a very masculine look, he kept it. Maybe he was trying to spite his mother, who had always disliked feminine boys. Though in that aspect she did not need worry too much, he would kill himself rather than wear those hideously tight, constraining, and low riding pants that seemed to be the rage amongst civilian boys.

He shuddered at the mere thought.

After a quick shower and getting dressed, he headed to the kitchen to get a bite to eat.

"Aniki! Aniki!"

Tsuki had learned a new word. He smiled at her before heading out. He never dare let his gaze wander to his mother who was seemingly occupied with the dishes. He knew better than to think that she had failed to notice him enter.

* * *

It was lunch break, meaning the classroom was mostly empty, the children outside playing and gossiping. He never really bothered outside unless it was part of the school's physical training programs. Besides running around and tag, he had much more pressing concerns to look after.

Namely, his grades.

His class had just barely started government and economics, making the simplistic view his father had given him during one of his tours of the mission center seem absurdly simplistic and dumbed down. There were multiple variables that affected a shinobi village's economic health depending on priority, pay rate, details of said mission. It was barely seven months into the school year yet he already felt utterly and completely lost.

There was no way in hell he would go to his parents after their…disagreement. If he showed difficulty this early in the academy, they would surely be convinced to pull him out.

Right now he was immersing himself in a guide that one of his teachers had so generously lent him that included a study guide. It was proving to be invaluable, and well worth the extra hours after class helping the teacher clean up. Busy jotting down notes, he was rudely interrupted when someone kicked the leg of his desk, jarring his pencil and ruining a piece of the paper.

"Oh great _Namikaze_, why you cooping yourself up in here, huh? Too high and mighty to mingle with the common folk?"

With great reluctance Naruto looked up to the classmate that was rudely interrupting his study time, he couldn't bring the book home and had to use it at the academy. Hans Inuzuka, one of the most obnoxious students he had the displeasure of having as classmates. He was a bit tall for his age, standing a good 4 inches taller than the rest, with mop of mangy black hair. Flanking his sides were two civilian born students and his dog companion.

"No Inuzuka-san, I'm just catching up on some reading." He replied, hoping that would be enough to satisfy the Inuzuka boy. Apparently not as the boy reached over and snatched the book away.

"Zat so? Hmm..." He made a show of flipping through the pages as if the contents were nothing important. Naruto tried to reign in his temper, knowing the Inuzuka was just trying to irk him, to get a rise out of him.

Breathing deeply, he reminded himself that he had to stay calm, and behave. Any misconduct or bad mannerisms on his behalf would reflect badly on his father, and on him if his teachers decided to report it.

"Yes, now may I please have it back?" He asked patiently, trying not to grind his teeth. Damn the Inuzuka and their Alpha mentality. Since the moment his Last name was said on Roll call, the clan boy had been itching to get him into a fight.

So far They had not picked each other in the taijutsu spar examination lottery each month. He could tell the lack of action was making the boy easier to upset, and more upfront with his attempts.

"Nope" he replied all too smugly, walking the length of the class thumbing through the pages.

"Inuzuka-san, I need the book please."

"Too bad. I decided I'm gonna keep this book, might be real helpful in gettin an A ya know? Wouldn't want mum and dad getting mad would I?"

He froze for a second. No, he couldn't know his situation, could he? His fears were placated though when he saw that childish mirth in the boy's eyes, egging him on.

No, he didn't know. He was just being an asshole.

"You can't keep it, its sensei's." He replied noncommittally. The lack of reaction to his egging made his annoyance visible.

"Yeah, and what're you going to do 'bout it you little shit?" He retorted, pushing his face way too close. His attempt to be intimidating was ruined by the nasty odor wafting from him.

God, did all Inuzuka smell like wet dog?

"Hans Inuzuka!" The boy snapped up straight at the teacher's voice, which echoed through the now silent classroom. "What are you doing?"

The boy practically snapped to attention. "Nothing sir!" He replied, hiding the book in his back pocket as he turned to face the teacher. The teacher merely nodded his head as he strode towards them. A gaze froze the civilian boys who were previously trying to sneak out of the classroom.

"Is that so?"

Hans nodded his head vigorously.

"Yup, just visiting a buddy of mine!" He replied, slapping a smile on his face and slinging an arm over Naruto's shoulder. The teacher smiled.

"Well, that's good and all, but I don't think Naruto-kun appreciates you interrupting his studies. Especially-" His hands flashed, retrieving the book from the boy's pocket, "-when you take the book that I lent him to use."

Hans's mouth flapped several times, his mind working overdrive to come up with a valid excuse. It was quite amusing to watch.  
The teacher didn't give him a chance.

"Save it. Now come with me." Grabbing the boy by the ear and the other two by the back of their shirts, and strode out of the classroom, though not before dropping the study guide back on Naruto's desk. "Keep up the good work." And with that the disturbance was gone, though he could not shake off the feeling in his gut that there would be more like those to come.

* * *

**There's the first chapter, hope you guys liked it and hope you have a merry Christmas! I will be posting the next chapter sometime before the end of December, to allow time for me to make any adjustments to the chapters.**

**The next chapter will touch lightly on some hardships at the academy Naruto experiences, as well as his first friend.  
**

**Any thoughts or constructive criticism on this chapter are helpful. Just please no flames.  
**


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